Urge Your Community Leaders

If you’re a community member interested in encouraging your community leaders to apply for Tree City USA recognition, a letter or email may help urge them along.

Below is sample text to get you started. Be sure to tailor it to your own experiences for the best results.

Trees make our town a special place to live. They shade our homes, our businesses and our streets. They clean our air and water, reduce storm water run-off, increase our property values, reduce energy costs and make our neighborhoods greener, safer, and healthier. And I know that as a leader in our community, you share in understanding the value of community trees.

Tree City USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation would highlight our commitment to urban forestry, community improvement and civic pride. I urge you to help our town earn this annual, national recognition by supporting community forestry in our city.

Our trees are a vital asset. In fact, our green infrastructure is likely the only part of our city’s infrastructure that actually increases in value and service over time. The Tree City USA program provides an outstanding framework for managing this important asset. Thank you for your support of our trees as a vital community resource. I’m happy to help with Tree City USA application in any way I can.

Sincerely,

Tree City USA is an Arbor Day Foundation program in cooperation with:

We inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation and education organization. A million members, donors, and partners support our programs to make our world greener and healthier.